title: Differential regulation of dendritic and axonal development by the novel Krüppel-like factor Dar1.
abstract: Dendrites and axons are two major neuronal compartments with differences that are critical for neuronal functions. To learn about the differential regulation of dendritic and axonal development, we conducted a genetic screen in Drosophila and isolated the dendritic arbor reduction 1 (dar1) mutants, which display defects in dendritic but not axonal growth. The dar1 gene encodes a novel transcription regulator in the Krüppel-like factor family. Neurons lacking dar1 function have severely reduced growth of microtubule- but not F-actin-based dendritic branches. In contrast, overexpression of Dar1 dramatically increased the growth of microtubule-based dendritic branches. Our results suggest that Dar1 promotes dendrite growth in part by suppressing the expression of the microtubule-severing protein Spastin. Our study thus uncovers a novel transcriptional program for microtubule regulation that preferentially controls dendrite growth.
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. bingye@umich.edu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Jung Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Younger
authors.forename: Lily Yeh
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Yuh Nung
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C096426:AstA-R1 protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C501874:spas protein, Drosophila